In 3GPP System Architecture Evolution, supporting the LTE radio access standard, several goals were defined, including several targets for more efficient data packet delivery. As a consequence Evolved Packet System (EPS), including E-UTRAN and Evolved Packet Core (EPC) introduced a new “flatter” architecture.
Eventually it was apparent that the E-Utran network would comprise a very large number of eNodeB and it was also evident that the large number of eNodeBs would quickly become unmanageable if configuration was not automatized. Indeed, there was an explicit target of “overall simplification” in the System Architecture Evolution (SAE). As a result, standardization supported Self-Organizing Networks (SON), enabling among other things auto-discovery of Mobility Management Entity (MME) when introducing a new eNodeB. As a consequence, introduction of an eNodeB requires zero, or very low, manual provisioning in EPC.
The Two-Way Active Measurement Protocol (TWAMP) is a performance measurement protocol standardized by IETF as RFC5357. The basic functionality comprises sending a IP packet from a sender to a reflector, the reflector returns the packet as quickly as possible to the sender, which may then deduce network characteristics for the network path traversed by the packet from the sender to the reflector and back. Such characteristics may for instance be used for measuring and maintaining Service Layer Agreements (SLA) in the network. Example of network characteristics may for instance be jitter, packet delay, hop count etc.
Due to a number of factors, including outsourcing of the mobile backhaul transport, many operators have been looking for new mechanisms for monitoring mobile backhaul performance characteristics. One mechanism that has rendered particular interest is the two-way active measurement protocol (TWAMP). Unfortunately the TWAMP protocol does not provide means for automatic provisioning.